


Butterscotch

by bowiesnippleantennae



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-01
Updated: 2011-11-01
Packaged: 2017-10-25 14:57:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/271569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bowiesnippleantennae/pseuds/bowiesnippleantennae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Betastuck, Tavros and Nepeta have a strange on/off relationship which neither of them ever talk about because they are both the most comfortable this way. I am also convinced I can ship anything as long as I write for it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Betastuck](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/5187) by nope--chucktesta. 



Thunder storms are the best, you are sure of it. Whenever the clouds start to close in, when you can feel the pressure in the air shift and stiffle you, when the humidity frizzes your hair and the smell of ozone fills your lungs, you are the happiest. You hear rumbling in the distance and you try to hold back the yawn that builds up in your throat. A cat nap is the only remedy for this perfect afternoon.

With Terezi at the LAN center challenging Vriska to some video games, you curl up on the couch with a quilt, a pillow, and the tv set to Travel channel ready to get your nap on. You doze for about 40 minutes when there's a soft rapping at the window. You jolt out of your sleep and look around, drowsily. It's still storming out, but it's gotten darker than you remember. Speaking of which, what pulled you out of your slumber? This time, there's a soft group of knocks coming from the front door. You get up and meander over, rubbing your eyes. "Coming..."

"Uhh... hey, sorry for showing up unexpectedly..."

You feel the urge to smile cheerfully and greet your friend with open arms but the look on his face stops you in your tracks.

"H-Hey, are you alright?" You look him over, he's soaked to the bone. How long was he out in the rain? You usher him in the house and run to grab him a towel, saying that, of course, he can make himself at home. You come back to the entrance way and he's still standing there, dripping on the floor. He worries at his lip as he takes the towel from you.

"Yeah... I mean, things could be worse? I, uh... I just had to get out of the house, you know?" He dabs at his hair as you lead him into the kitchen.

"Cabin feverish? I'm sorry, Tav... Do you want something to drink? I could make some tea to warm you up. Did... Did you walk all the way over here?"

He gives you a look that tells you he did, but he won't admit to it. You boil water, anyway and join him at the table while the kettle sits on the stove.

"Well, I'm glad you came over! Terezi isn't here and it's so quiet... I was taking a nap,"

"Yeah, sorry about that..." he buts in.

"It's fine! You obviously need some company! And I'm always glad to help out a friend, especially if there's something wrong." You place your hand on his in a reassuring manner. He flashes a hesitant smile, but doesn't pull away. The whistle of the kettle is what brings you both out of comfortable silence and you get up to fix two cups of cammomille.

He takes the cup mechanically, staring deep into the brown liquid. You study him, carefully. There is something very much wrong with him and you will make sure he gets it all out. Time for a feelings pow-wow! You are so very good at these!

"Seriously, Tavros. Tell me what's bothering you, because you are starting to worry me. Is everything okay at home? Are you being bullied? What's going on? Is it because of Vriska?"

Tavros flinches.

"What'd she do..."

Tavros continues to stare into his cup. His brows furrow slightly and his lower lip pulls into a deep frown. Whatever she did this time, you would make sure to have quite the talking with her next time you meet up with her for a round of LARPing.

It takes you some coercing, but eventually, he opens up to you enough without getting too upset. He tells you about how, right when he had gotten the courage to tell Vriska his feelings for her, he finds out that she's interested in her new roommate. She had just told him straightout when they were hanging out this afternoon. She had confided in him her pent up feelings for John and how she was ready to tell him about them, tonight. She had been mentally preparing herself all week for this (As if she ever needed a confidence boost or any sort of help with that ego of hers to begin with, you think to yourself as Tavros speaks) and she was glad he came over because his presence was really calming to her.

Tavros finished up the story with a, "So, I never ended up telling her how I feel about her... And she is probably with him right now. S-so..."

You let him trail off, you've heard enough. This is probably for the better, anyway. Even though she's your friend, you know her type of girland she would eat him alive. You sip your tea and reach over to pat his shoulder.

"I'm really sorry... but, you know... everything happens for a reason, right? Maybe there is just someone else out there for you..." He smiles up at you.

"Yeah. Thanks, for listening to me, Nepeta. I... I think I'll be fine. It's just the initial shock, and all..." He lowers his eyes down at his untouched tea, again. His face falling back to the original emotion he wore when he first walked in.

You bite at your bottom lip. "Why don't we just cuddle up on the couch... aaand watch any movie you want! We have Netflix on our wii. Terezi insisted." You both make it to the living room and set everything up. You notice Tavros' expressions lightening up and you smile to yourself. There is nothing more satisfying then being an effective cheerer-upper. This will be the best movie viewing ever, and Tavros can forget all about his unrequited crush.

\---

You sit through Hook, which was Tavros' first choice. You knew this was his favorite movie since he was a kid and nothing could finish the cheering up job quite like Robin Williams' wonderfully touching fatherly scenes. Rufio's character helps greatly, too. You catch yourself looking at Tavros' expressions change more than you watch the movie.

He lets you pick next and you happily scroll through the comedies. You are going to keep this positive atmosphere right in place. You choose Robin Hood: Men in Tights and snuggle up against Tavros with a huge smile on your face. Tavrso slinks an arm behind you and you take this as an invitation to nuzzle into the crook of his neck. You feel relaxation engulf you as your earlier drowziness begins to creep back in. There's thunder in the distance and you can hear Tavros' heart beating in your lungs. Wow, is that how fast it usually is? You glance up at his face to see him staring intensely at the screen. You can't tell if it's because of the lighting from the TV, but his face seems flushed.

Was this more than just cuddle time for your friend?

You spend the rest of the movie contemplating why your own pulse seemed to speed up as you become more and more aware of the proximity of every inch of your body to every inch of his. You notice the muscles on his arms as they clench behind your neck. You witness his adam's apple bob when he takes a gulp. You can smell the sweat and rain on him; thunder claps in the background. When the credits roll, neither of you move... you both didn't laugh even once during the movie, either.

Around the middle of the credits reel, you stand to get the wiimote from the coffee table that had been pushed farther away to accomidate Tavros' long legs when a hand catches your wrist and that's when you notice that you two had also been holding hands during the film. When did...

You stare at the hand quizzingly and follow up the arm to the face of it's master. The look Tavros is giving you is not like any look you've seen from him before. It is serious with a twinge of uncertantiy which only Tavros can accomplish in a single stare. It mesmerizes you and you slowly sit back down on the couch, your eyes never leaving his. You want to say something to break the silence because after a few moments of just looking, the awkwardness is starting to set in and you are more in more need of an explaination as to why he's making that face than to continue this staring contest.

"Tavros... are you--" And then his mouth is on yours and you squeak a protest, but he's being so gentle that it stays as just that and you relax into the kiss. He mouths at your lips and you breathe out a sigh of content which gives him the confidence to move in closer so that his hands can roam your back and shoulders. Everything about him is extremely delicate and slow. You make note of how nice that is and you smile into the kiss because the sweetness is almost too much to contain in just your private thoughts.

You are snapped out of those thoughts when his weight pushes against yours and you fall onto your back, bringing him down with you. He props himself up and pants out apologies. "S-Sorry. This is weird. Is this weird? I didn't mean to... I mean, it's not like this is bad or anything... uuuh... I just... I just felt li--" You cut him off there with a giggle and his shoulders slump with a dejected look on his face. You scooch up the length of the couch so that you are completely laying on it and there's more room for him as you stare at him slyly. He looks at you with almost astonishment, as if he can't believe that you are ok with him just pouncing on you like he did and this thought also makes you laugh. This time, he chuckles with you and you nuzzle into his face until your lips meet again.

And it's hotter this time. You figure, in the corner of your mind, that it's because the hurdle of 'oh, hey we're friends and we just kissed that's weird? But we're both okay with it?' has been crossed and you both can now fully enjoy what the other person is doing, no holds barred. Which is exactly what happens.

Tavros carresses the side of your face with a big hand as he turns his head to get a better angle at your mouth. You mewl pleasantly as his tongue juts out to lick your lips as his fingertips move down the side of your neck. His other hand is burried in your hair and he squeezes it in reaction to what your hands are doing to his torso. You have snaked them up under his damp shirt, scratching little trails as you rake your nails over his chest and stomache, reveling in the rippling his muscles are doing under your touch. You arch into him and he lets out a soft moan of approval. You take this opportunity to slip your tongue into his mouth as you slink you arms around his back and pull him down, fully on top of you. He resists for a few moments before giving up and letting himself enjoy the sensations.

You lose track of time as your bodies meld together. It's almost completely dark in the room, with lighting and the title screen of the wii as the only light source. This helps hide your blushing, you think to yourself off-handedly. Not that it matters, you are passed the point of being embarrassed anymore. There is no going back to innocent naivetee after you've felt the heat against your inner thigh and the teeth against the skin of your neck and the hands all over your body. You turn your head to the side to catch your breath and Tavros' mouth is on your eat, nipping away. You spot the discarded shirts and revel in the insane situation this is. You didn't ever see yourself with Tavros in such an intimate way, but here you are, under him, and you're okay with everything right now. Just, comfortably okay.

He again snaps you out of your thoughts with his head burried in your hair and his hands clutching your shoulders, hard enough to hurt a little. You blink and push up against him to get his attention. "Tavros, what's the matter?"

He tilts his face towards you and smiles meekly. When he opens his mouth, it's to pant a few times before saying, "Sorry, this is getting a little too much for me... I... I don't want to go too fast... a-and I don't want you to feel like you have to force yourself to do anything." He closes his eyes and relaxes as you reach up with one hand and smooth his hair down.

"Well, I definitely didn't mind this. So, you have that going for you." You giggle as he groans in embarrassment.

You both sit up and he hangs his head low. He crosses his arms, awkwardly, suddenly feeling exposed and you laugh and adjust a bra strap as it droops off your shoulder. "I am serious when I say that what just happened didn't bother me. It was even fun! So, don't look so upset! You're making me start to regret it-- like I forced you or something!" You laugh again and he half-smiles up at you, easing up a bit.

You get up and scoop up the shirts, tossing him his as you put on your own. You then ask if he's hungry and he replies that he's starving. There's bound to be something open still and since Terezi still wasn't back, that meant they could meet her somewhere for food. You run into your room to grab your purse as Tavros ties his shoes and waits for you by the door. It's down to a drizzle outside and the air is wonderfully wet and fresh. You take in a deep breath and remark on your love of this kind of weather. Tavros laughs at you and you paw at his arm in revenge as you walk to your car.

There is no label on what happened tonight. This thought makes both of you feel satisfied and the fact that it calms the other down is even more of an incentive to just go with whatever happens. Neither of you know exactly what tonight meant or whether or not you want to persue it and it's okay.

That feels good.

You feel good.

Tavros is smiling again.

Thunder rumbles miles away. Days like today are the best.


	2. sequel

The next time the rain comes, it brings Tavros along with it. You open the door to soft tapping and he slouches into your shoulder. He at least remembered to bring an umbrella with him, this time, but it has been discarded and you raise your arms up and hug him tightly. You don't know what has happened this time but you have a nagging feeling that it has to do with Vriska again. Nonetheless, you are always there for a friend and you usher him in, locking the door behind you.

Terezi has been cooking in the kitchen and she comes out with a spatula in her hand when she realizes there was company.

"Hey Tav! Oh... whoa, you don't look so hot."

Tavros blinks at her and tries his hardest to smile in a reassuring manner. You see right through it and you're sure Terezi does, too but neither of you will call him out on it. He tells her that he's just feeling a little under the weather and he figured the both of you could cheer him up a bit. You agree enthusiastically and grab his arm, pulling him into the living room to sit down. He complies and Terezi tells you both that there is enough food for him, as well. He agrees, gratefully because it's only telapia and he's allowed to eat that. Good thing you were the one picking what was for dinner tonight.

After dinner, Terezi goes into her room to get on xbox live and "beat the shit out of that she devil." You notice the twang of hurt on Tavros' face, but you don't say anything until Terezi is already in her room.

You both sit in silence for a long moment before Tavros gets up from his seat on the arm chair and plops down right next to you in a huff and places his head on your shoulder. "Tavros?"

"I can't stop thinking about her... It's really, uh, painful... which is weird, I guess. Like, physically painful."

You stay quiet to see if he'll keep talking. The best way to release bad feelings is to talk about them, you are sure! You will listen and listen and listen until he talks himself hoarse and he will definitely feel better afterwards.

"The only time, it seems, where I don't think about her... or... or the bad things that come with thinking about her... are when I'm hanging out with people..."

Easy fix is easy!

"Especially when it's, uh, you..."

Oh! Even easier! You are the friendliest person, or so you've been told. And you'd like to hold that title for as long as possible, which should be a very long time. You pet his hair and hum before giving your response. You settle for a simple "Good." and let him snuggle up close to you.

__

The next time you see Tavros, he is in a very good mood. It had been about a week and a half since the last time he showed up on your door step like a sick puppy and it relieved you greatly to see him in higher spirits. He invites you to volunteer with him at the local animal shelter and you gleefully agree. You are going to get your hands on some kittens and it will be purrfect. Heehee!

He brings you to the shelter and you are both put to work, cleaning out cages and pins and feeding the animals that are there. You steer clear of the uthanization room, that is not something you think you could handle and today is very nice and you don't need anything like that bringing it down. You go off to play with kittens, instead.

You bump into Tavros after about an hour of playing and tending to the cats and he smiles a greeting to you and asks you how you're doing.

"This is really a lot of fun! Thank you for inviting me!"

He beams a smile down at you. "It's really just to thank you for putting up with me about the whole... Vriska thing..."

If your smile could get any wider, it does and you give him a quick hug. "You know you didn't have to, Tavros. I am always in the mood for cheering people up! And I know how upsetting crushes can be when they aren't returned... so, it was the least I could do!"

He smiles in response but it turns uneasy as his eyes dart away from yours all of a sudden. You tilt your head in question and he clears his throat.

"U-uh... I was wondering... if maybe you'd like to... uh. Well, if you were hungry, we could go get something... A-and it would definitely be on me!! I-I mean, I would pay for it... not... not that we would be eating off me... NOT THAT YOU WOULD ACTUALLY THINK THAT... O-OR THAT I WOU-"

"That sounds lovely..." You cut him off and he thanks you for saving him the trouble of further explaining himself with just a short giggle and pink stained cheeks.

__

It happens to be just as nice as you said it would be. Tavros takes you to a quaint vegan restaurant that he apparently frequented a lot. He sits you down by one of the large windows and then takes his own seat.

"I hope you're ok with this kind of food. I haven't gone vegan, yet but I plan on trying it out next summer... I found this place a little while ago and it's become my favorite restaurant."

You beam up at him. "Well, then I am very glad you took me, here! If you like it, I'm sure it's a really good place to eat! I've never had vegan food, before but I do like salads." You take a menu from behind the napkins and browse it, happily humming. Tavros seems to be relieved that you are enjoying your time together and why should he even worry?

Tavros laughs at you and does the same. Everything else seems to go without a hitch and you have been thoroughly enjoying your time with your friend until Tavros' expression, towards the end of the meal, falls slightly and he asks if it would be okay if the two of you could talk about what happened last time.

You know exactly what he means and you put down your fork, becoming very serious, yourself.

"Uhh... I don't even know how to really start..."

You giggle, "That's okay! I told you, it was really okay that something like that happened! I mean, I don't really know what the meaning behind it for you was, but for me, it cheered you up and it was... well... fun! I've never had something like that happen before, though... But, I am sure glad it was with someone like you, Tavros!"

That seems to ease up the stressed look on his face and he cracks a small smile. "Yeah, well, I mean if you're really okay that it happened, then so am I! I just didn't want you to feel weird around me... or... or think I had ulterior motives- Because I don't!!"

"Heehee! Well, that's good to know. I'm kidding, Tavros, don't look so sad! Of course I didn't think you were just trying to get some action. I feel like what happened was strictly for comfort!"

"Heh heh... yeah... But I don't think... I'd want to do anything like that with just anyone. Which is why I'm wondering if it means that there is actually something there... between us?"

You ponder this for a few moments before shrugging. "Maybe if we tried it with other people, we would know for sure... But I don't really have anyone else in mind and you are too afraid to even tell Vriska how you feel!"

He lowers his head in shame, but he that you are right.

You pull a face that is less than pleased with his reaction and place your hand on his to get his attention again. "Tavros, it's okay, really."

"Yeah..."

"Do you really want to confess to Vriska? Do you think that'll help you figure out just what you want, exactly?"

Tavros shakes his head and turns his hand flip ways so that he can tenderly squeeze yours back. "No. I know it won't because she just told me that she and John are going steady... s-so..."

"People break up. Do you think John will be able to handle her for a long period of time, anyway? You might still have a chance. And even though she's taken, maybe getting it off your chest would at least ease some of the pain?"

He shakes his head again. What a stubborn bull! "I don't think... I will ever tell her. Even if she does break up with John somehow, I'll always keep it to myself." He smiles up at you and it is the most heartbreaking smile you have ever seen. This is unacceptable.

You stand up, pulling him with you, he shakes under the determined look on your face. "If you don't want to tell her that is completely fine. It's your heart and your life and your decisions. But, if you're going to keep coming to me with your tail between your legs every time you think about her... well... well..." You feel your face fluster and he blinks at you with wide eyes. "Well, then I am going to have to cheer you up, every time, won't I?"

"I... I think I would like that..."

And it's settled.


End file.
